In 2014 I was lucky enough to be living on a coastal island, working several PT gigs, with plenty of time to sew. I spent hours in my sewing room daydreaming projects, creating beautiful garments, and learning as much as I could about sewing. It was hard to not think about the many projects on my queue. Now I make my living off of not only sewing but other contract work. I knew that monetizing my most important hobby would have an impact, but I wasn’t prepared fully for what was in store.

This past weekend I had a bizarre experience. I went to do a final bridal fitting and was completely disrespected and I feel attacked by not the bride, but the mother of a bridesmaid. This woman videoed me pin-fitting her daughter’s dress, then proceeded to be verbally aggressive and beligerent, questioning my ability to do my job. I won’t elaborate on how stressful this project has already been – between copying the RTW dress, attempting to match the original color, finding fabric in another color only to have JoAnn screw me, drafting the intricate sleeve, writing out the construction steps three times, getting just enough fabric in to make it work, and then finally having to deal with this individual was just too much. I am damn good at what I do and I didn’t take her shit. I’m sure you can imagine how that went down.

Luckily, for that one experience I’ve had a handful of amazing clients this year, and had the honor of creating some beautiful custom dresses, several of which ended up on HGTV (many thanks to Hannah for that one!). Despite the joy of seeing happy clients in what is undoubtedly their best fitting garment, I was shocked when I took a hard look at my personal sewing this year. I’ve only created 12 garments for myself in 2016.

Not one to bemoan, I’ve made an important decision: the rest of this year will be spent on my personal fall/winter wardrobe, refining my online & in-person classes, and finally sitting down to design a small capsule collection to be released Spring 2017. The latter has been on my mind all year, and a few little birds have told me I need to pursue this one in particular.

While I love having a creative job, I also know that I need to save some of that creative magic for myself. All three of my jobs are stressful, and I can’t do them in a vacuum of personal well-being. It’s a hard balance when we choose to pursue that which we find excites us the most – we have to keep some for ourself. So, here’s to refining the process, daring to try something new, and reclaiming sewing as my personal solace.

Garments are fascinating things, but even more fascinating is the fact that every garment you own and wear is essentially the same. Each piece of clothing is made up of the same set of elements – the only thing that changes is the fabric, closures, and other embellishments added for style, season, or personal taste. Creating your own garments means you have complete control over the style details and it ensures you’ll never enter a room wearing what soemone else is wearing. Let’s take a look.

This is the line drawing for the Rue dress pattern just released from Colette. Each dress is a combination of a bodice + skirt + sleeve. A bodice becomes a blouse or top. The skirt portion becomes a skirt, pants, or shorts. If there’s no visible waistline, then we remove the seam at the waistline in favor of one large pattern piece spanning the length of the body. Every garment has a neckline, where your head appears, a closure so you can get in and out of the garment, and a hemline, or where the length of the lower portion of the garment falls on your legs.

Each individual element is also a variation of iteself. You can see above that the bodice has an underbust yoke detail utilizing gathers instead of darts. Simple pattern manipulation makes this a unique style from the basic bodice pattern. Similar, volume was added to the skirt, reduced using pleats to add interest to the skirt portion. Every piece of clothing you see is a variation of a few common elements.

Without a doubt, the most fun thing about creating your own clothing is choosing your fabric. Above are four variations on the Laurel dress pattern, also by Colette Patterns. Clockwise from top left we have lightweight denim, cotton lawn, wool tweed, and finally wool gabardine. The sleeve is longer in the wool tweed version, and the hemline is taken up with flare added. Those adjustments took 5 minutes but drastically change the look, and tone, of the garment.

Here’s a good example of two very different styles made up in the same fabric. On the left you have a bodice + skirt with added neckline detail and straps. The skirt is full and gathered, with width added that is then taken in to meet the waist of the bodice. The sleeves are removed in order to add the strap detail. On the right the bodice + skirt portions have been combined to create a shift dress. A sleeve has been added that falls near the hip.

Anything you can imagine, you can sew and create yourself. Instead of waiting for your favorite store to restock your favorite item, you can make your own. The beauty of sewing is that you can find patterns that suit your figure and make multiples in various fabrics, lengths, styles, and moods.

I love Instagram. I was sharing my sewing projects and outfits on Instagram for years before I ever said a peep on Facebook. In fact, I didn’t mention that I sewed until November of 2015. Part of my reticence was due to insecurity I’m sure – it’s a very intimate thing sharing your hobby with others. Turning your hobby into a business, though, requires you to be balls out with what you’re doing, much to my (somewhat) chagrin.

While I continue to get a ton of support from Facebook friends, the seamstresses from around the world that I’ve “met” through Instagram are near and dear to my heart. We comment on each other’s projects, provide encouragement, and rally around one another all in the name of sewing. That’s crazy, right?

One of my favorite things about sewing, and all creative hobbies for that matter, is the sense of community. We all share a love for a common thing and that makes us automatic friends. When I sang with the Knoxville Opera I didn’t so much enjoy the rehearsals; I enjoyed the time between performances talking and cutting up with new friends. I’ve concluded it’s not so important what you’re doing but that you connect with others who are doing the same, or similar, things.

Community is important, and for those of us running small businesses it’s hard to foster amidst our daily routine. Every. Single. Time I meet another seamstress my heart leaps. It’s as if I’ve unearthed a new best friend. It’s almost like being a child again, and meeting a kindred spirit. Even connecting with a seamstress from across the globe on social media has the same effect.

The first important step to “finding your tribe” is to talk about what you do! I’m hosting a potluck on Friday, October 21 to do just that – give others a chance to tell us what they do and why they love it. I’m constantly surprised and excited to learn what others are creating nearby.

Second, reach out to others and make friends. This gets harder the older we get, but I’ve never been turned down when I’ve asked someone to lunch or dinner. Pick their brain, feel the creative synergy, and bask in the glow of having found a fellow creative spirit.

Are you part of a creative community? How can you create one for yourself?